Receipts and putaway
A receipt is the event that turns a purchase order into on-hand inventory + a payable to the supplier. The receiving flow has to be fast (the dock can't be the bottleneck), accurate (everything downstream — costing, payables, replenishment — depends on it), and auditable (3-way match between PO, receipt, and invoice is the control that prevents most procurement fraud).
TL;DR — Open Inventory → Floor → Receive on the dock tablet. Scan the supplier's packing slip or the PO number; the expected lines appear. For each line, scan-and-count the items into the put-away bin. Submit. Receipt posts on-hand; AP gets a 3-way-match candidate.
Before you start
- Have the supplier's packing slip or the PO number. Without one of these you're guessing what was supposed to arrive — open a blind receipt only if it's truly unscheduled.
- For lot- or serial-tracked items, have the lot codes or serial numbers ready to scan or enter.
- For temperature-sensitive or hazardous goods, confirm the storage requirements before staging in a put-away bin.
Receipt against a PO (the normal path)
Open Inventory → Floor → Receive
On a dock tablet or scanner. The receive screen asks for a PO number or packing slip.
Scan or enter the PO number
The PO's open lines appear with expected quantity, expected unit, and supplier-side identifiers. Lines already received are dimmed.
Verify the supplier + shipment
Confirm the supplier name + the packing slip number. A mismatch (different supplier from the PO) blocks the receipt — escalate before continuing.
Receive line by line
For each line: scan or enter the SKU + the quantity received in the line's unit. The system flags over-receipt (exceeds PO line) and short-receipt (less than ordered) — both are recordable, not blocking.
Capture lot / serial / expiry (where required)
For lot-tracked items: scan or enter the lot code + expiry date. For serial-tracked: one serial per unit. The capture is required to submit the line.
Stage the items in the put-away bin
The platform suggests a bin from the item's default; override if needed. The suggested bin is the fast path for fast receipts.
Submit the receipt
On-hand is incremented at the receiving bin. The PO line's open quantity is decreased. AP receives a 3-way-match candidate.
Inspection + quarantine
Some items require inspection before they're available for pick.
| Field | What it does | Accepted values / default |
|---|---|---|
| Standard receipt | Item is available immediately after receipt. | The default for most items. |
| Inspection required | Item is received into a quarantine bin; QC checks before release. | Set on the item record. Quarantine on-hand is held but unavailable for picks. |
| Sampling receipt | QC inspects a sample; pass releases the lot, fail rejects the lot or routes to rework. | Sampling plan is item-configured (typically by AQL standards your QC team owns). |
Blind receipt (no PO)
Sometimes a shipment arrives without a PO — a sample, a warranty replacement, a gift, a misrouted shipment. Don't refuse; receive it blind and resolve afterward.
Open Inventory → Floor → Receive → "No PO"
The blind-receipt flow opens.
Identify the items
Scan or enter SKUs. The platform reads catalog + matches where possible; unmatched scans prompt the receiver to flag for the inventory admin.
Hold the receipt in pending
Pending receipts don't increment on-hand until reconciled — you'll either match to an existing PO (after the fact) or create a no-cost adjustment if the items are gifts / samples.
The inventory admin reconciles
Match to PO / create catalog item / mark as sample. The receipt is then either posted (with cost) or adjusted in (with zero cost).
3-way match
After receipt, AP runs a 3-way match against the PO and supplier invoice before paying. The receipt is the second leg.
| Field | What it does | Accepted values / default |
|---|---|---|
| PO ↔ receipt | Did we receive what we ordered? | Quantity received compared to quantity ordered, within configurable tolerance (typically 5-10% on consumables, 0% on capital items). |
| Receipt ↔ invoice | Did the supplier bill us for what we received? | Quantity invoiced ≤ quantity received; price within PO line price + tolerance. |
| PO ↔ invoice | Final cross-check before payment. | All three legs must reconcile or the invoice routes to AP for manual review. |
Every field, explained
| Field | What it does | Accepted values / default |
|---|---|---|
| PO number | The purchase order being received against. | Open POs only; closed or cancelled POs require AP intervention. |
| Packing slip | Supplier-side document. | Captured for reconciliation + dispute defense. |
| Line quantity received | How much arrived for this PO line. | Over-receipt + short-receipt allowed with annotation; receipt closes when zero left. |
| Lot / serial / expiry | Tracking metadata where required by the item. | Required for lot- or serial-tracked items; ignored otherwise. |
| Put-away bin | Where the items are staged. | Default is the item's; override per receipt. |
| Receipt notes | Free-text for anything unusual (damaged carton, partial pallet, etc.). | Visible to AP + the inventory admin during reconciliation. |
| Inspector | Who did QC on inspection receipts. | Required when inspection is required. |
Common gotchas
- "Supplier shipped the wrong item." Receive what arrived (against the wrong line will fail), then open a return-to-vendor on the wrong-item receipt. Don't refuse the shipment unless the supplier's terms require return-on-dock.
- "The invoice came before the receipt." AP holds the invoice as pending until the receipt posts. If the receipt is late (supplier billing ahead of delivery), the receiver needs to investigate the in-transit status.
- "Over-receipt is bigger than the tolerance." The receipt posts but is flagged for buyer review. The buyer either amends the PO upward (supplier shipped more than ordered with agreement) or returns the excess.
- "The lot expiry is shorter than I expected." Flag immediately. Lots within the workspace's near-expiry threshold (typically 30 days) need disposition decisions before put-away — return to vendor, accept with discount, refuse.
- "I receive on a tablet but the network drops." The floor flow buffers the receipt locally and submits when the network returns. The receipt timestamp is the receive moment, not the upload moment.
Troubleshooting
| Error code | What it means | Fix |
|---|---|---|
RECEIPT_PO_NOT_FOUND | The PO number doesn't match an open PO. | Verify the PO number or open a blind receipt and reconcile afterward. |
RECEIPT_SUPPLIER_MISMATCH | The packing-slip supplier differs from the PO supplier. | Escalate to the buyer before continuing. |
RECEIPT_OVER_TOLERANCE | Quantity received exceeds PO + tolerance. | Buyer reviews — amend the PO or initiate return. |
RECEIPT_LOT_REQUIRED | A lot-tracked item was received without a lot code. | Enter the lot from the supplier's packing slip; required to submit. |
RECEIPT_INSPECTION_REQUIRED | Item was received without inspection assignment. | Route to QC; on-hand stays in quarantine until release. |
How this is recorded
Every receipt — PO-matched or blind — writes to the inventory ledger. Quantity changes are timestamped + attributed to the receiver; cost layers are posted to valuation. The receipt is the audit anchor for the supplier dispute, the AP payment, and the financial close. Retention follows the workspace audit-log retention FINANCE floor (default 7 years) at minimum.
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